Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh): At least twelve people were killed, and over 35 were injured after a private bus fell into a 500-feet deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district on Friday afternoon, officials said.

The accident occurred when the bus en route from Shimla to Kupvi via Rajgarh veered off the road and plunged into the gorge down the road and landed upside down near Haripurdhar village, around 95 kilometres from the district headquarters, Nahan.

Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sangrah, Sunil Kayath, who is at the spot supervising the rescue operation, initially told PTI that nine bus passengers have died while about 40 are injured.

He said the rescue operation is going on war footing and all the injured and dead were being rushed to nearby Sangrah and Dadahu hospitals.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives in the accident, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a statement issued here, directed the district authorities to provide all possible assistance to the next of kin of those killed in the accident and ensure the best medical care to the injured.

Industry Minister and local MLA from the Shallai assembly segment, Harshwardhan Chauhan, said the district administration has been put on alert, and medical teams and doctors at Dadahu, Sangrah and Nahan hospital are prepared for emergency.

He said the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained and expressed condolences on the incident.

Early, speaking to reporters, SP Sirmaur Nishchint Singh Negi said, "Eight deaths reported in a bus accident after a private bus enroute from Kupvi to Shimla rolled down the road near Haripurdhar in Sirmaur district. Death toll could rise. There were 30-35 people in the bus. More details are awaited. I am moving to the spot. Police and other rescue teams are trying to evacuate the injured."

Rescue operations are underway, with police and local teams working to evacuate the injured.

More details awaited.